Solar charger question

Can someone please enlighten me what the difference is between 10a and 20a solar chargers/regulators.. I am thinking of saving myself a few hundred £ and plan on fitting a couple of 100w panels but i notice some come with 10a an others offer 20a chargers, the previous one we had fitted was the cheapest i have ever seen anywhere (£4.19) fitted by Spinney motorhomes, i have no idea of ampage it was but it did the job ok - what is the most common 10 - 20 ?

The Truth is Out There !
"It is easier to fool someone, than to convince them that they have been fooled." - Mark Twain

You may think you are going to save money, but always fit bigger than you need as a few month down the line you will want to add more Solar and the regulator will not take it. The 20 amp will give you room to grow.

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If you're planning on ever adding more solar panels then it would be wise to add a 20A or even 30A regulator. Also bear in mind that more power from panels may necessitate bigger cross sectional area cable i.e 1.5mm to 4mm.

'the quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket' - Will Rogers

'stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey' - Fitzhugh Mullan

Cheers canopus, I only want 2 panels, that should be plenty i hope, we had a 120w on our previous van and it served its purpose well, i never would have thought that wild camping would have been so enjoyable... has its ups/downs but with some good solar who needs EHU.

The Truth is Out There !
"It is easier to fool someone, than to convince them that they have been fooled." - Mark Twain

Agree with everything above. In the UK, you're unlikely to get the full 200W capability very often. Head a bit further south - quite possible. 200W at 12V is just over 16A. You should go for the larger unit.

Again, price isn't everything. There are so-called MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) controllers that will maximise solar gathering by running the panels at their most efficient voltage across a range of conditions. If you holiday in southern Europe, not such an issue. In the UK it will be more benefit.

Lastly. If you stop for a night and move on, you won't use as much energy prior to recharging from the alternator as you would spending a week on a single site.